AFTER almost a year of development, Cairo’s iconic Tahrir Square has been given a new look in line with its historical importance and its peers worldwide, reports Nevine El-Aref.
Tahrir Square has been at the heart of the political transformations that have characterised Egypt’s modern history. Today, the square is also home to a 17-metre, 90-ton obelisk dating back to the reign of the ancient Egyptian Pharaoh Ramses II and four ram-headed sphinxes, turning it into an open-air museum commemorating Egyptian history and an extension of the neighbouring Egyptian Museum.
The square’s redesign will feature date, olive, fig, and carob trees, all characteristic of the Pharaonic era, along with the famous ancient Egyptian papyrus. A new lighting system has been installed in the square and at the Egyptian Museum to highlight their distinguished architecture at night.
*A version of this article appears in print in the 21 May, 2020 edition ofAl-Ahram Weekly
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